Creating Civilization In My Private Island

Kael's gaze softens slightly as he listens. His mother's words, though quiet, are heavy with the weight of their people's past.

"When the Abyssian first appeared," she continues, her eyes distant as though reliving the memory, "we tried. We tried to resist. It almost wiped us out, Kael. Entire families, whole villages, destroyed in a single sweep of its fury." Her voice trembles, but she steels herself, stroking her younger son's fin as he nestles into her lap, blissfully unaware of the terror she speaks of. "We had no choice but to submit. To give it what it wanted, just to survive."

Kael clenches his fists, his knuckles pale against his blue skin. He had heard stories of those days—of the Merlans who had risen to fight, and the devastation that followed. The Abyssian, with its massive, hulking form and fearsome strength, had decimated their warriors, leaving their kind no other option but to offer tributes and sacrifices in a desperate bid for peace.

"Each year, its demands grow," his mother whispers, her eyes misting over. "And each year, we lose a little more. Not just food... but our hope."

Kael's jaw tightens, his hatred for the Abyssian intensifying. He understands now why his mother fears rebellion, why the Merlans have chosen survival over resistance. But deep in his heart, he refuses to accept this as their fate.

"It won't always be like this," he says quietly, the words more for himself than for her. His mother looks at him, her expression weary and resigned.

"I hope you're right, Kael," she says softly. "I really do. But until then... we have to stay alive."

Kael meets her gaze, his eyes burning with a quiet determination. One day, he promises himself. One day, we will fight back.

A knock at the entrance of their coral dwelling startles Kael and his mother. Her heart sinks as the door opens, and in steps a group of Merlans—two supporting a third figure between them. It's Kael's father.

Kael's eyes widen in shock as he sees his father slumped between the two Merlans, his scales dull and streaked with blood. His fins are tattered, and he's clutching his side, where a deep gash is visible, dark blue blood seeping into the water.

"Papa!" Kael's younger brother squeals, but his mother quickly pulls him back, shielding him from the sight.

"Kael! Help me!" his mother cries out as she rushes to her husband's side, her face a mixture of fear and desperation.

Kael snaps out of his daze and hurries over, helping the other two Merlans lower his father gently onto the soft coral bed in the corner. His father groans in pain, his normally strong frame now weak and trembling. Kael's hands shake as he looks at the wound—a vicious tear across his father's side, deep and ragged.

"What happened?" Kael asks, his voice strained as he looks up at the two Merlans who brought his father home.

"He was hunting in the deeper waters," one of them says, his tone grim. "A beast almost caught him. He managed to escape, but not without injury."

Kael's mother is already at her husband's side, trying to stem the flow of blood with a cloth, her face pale with worry. "Why did he go so far? He knows it's dangerous out there!"

"There wasn't enough food near the village," the other Merlan explains quietly. "The Abyssian's demands... they've left our hunting grounds empty. He was trying to bring back something for you and the children."

Kael's heart clenches at the words. His father had risked everything just to keep them fed, all because the Abyssian's tribute was bleeding their resources dry. He kneels beside his father, staring at the wound with growing anger.

His father's eyes flutter open, weak but focused. "Kael..." he rasps, his voice rough, "don't... don't worry about me. I'll be fine." He winces, his hand trembling as he reaches out for Kael. "Just... look after your mother and brother... while I heal."

Kael holds his father's hand tightly, his chest heavy with worry. He wants to believe his father's words, but the injury looks bad—worse than anything he's seen before. His father's breaths come in shallow gasps, and as the moments pass, his eyes start to flutter closed.

"Papa?" Kael whispers, but his father's grip loosens. His eyes close, and his head lolls to the side as he loses consciousness.

"No, no, no," his mother murmurs, her hands shaking as she presses a cloth to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. But the color is draining from her face. She knows the truth even before anyone says it.

One of the Merlans who helped bring Kael's father back steps forward, his face grim. "The injury is not life-threatening... but..." he hesitates, his voice thick with the weight of what he's about to say. "I don't think he will be able to hunt again."

Kael's mother freezes, her hands stilling over her husband's wound. Her breath catches in her throat, and for a moment, she looks as if she's going to faint. "What… what will happen to us now?" Her voice is barely a whisper, choked with fear and uncertainty.

The room falls into a heavy silence. The other Merlans look down at the ground, their faces filled with sorrow but offering no answers. No one knows what to say. Kael's father was the only one keeping their family fed, especially with the Abyssian's growing demands. Now, without him able to hunt…

"I'm sorry," one of the Merlans finally says, his voice low and apologetic. He glances at Kael and his mother, his eyes filled with pity. "We have to go. We'll send word to the healer, but… I'm sorry."

The other Merlans mumble their own apologies, each one avoiding eye contact as they file out of the house. The door closes softly behind them, and the silence left behind is suffocating.

Kael's mother sits frozen, her hands still resting on his father's limp body. She stares blankly at the wound, her lips trembling. "What are we going to do?" she whispers, more to herself than anyone else. Tears start to well in her eyes, but she blinks them away, trying to stay strong for her sons.